One
special memory is when I was eight years old and a group of my
friends and I boarded the train one Saturday afternoon in Olar,
SC, and rode the ten miles to Denmark to see the matinee which
was "Old Yeller." I will never forget that thrill or
the feeling because it was the first time I had ever ridden a
train!

The
theaters at Camp Croft were quite big and very similar to the
theaters outside. Between the four theaters they only had two
prints of film, so one theater would start a little sooner and
when the film was finished, a guy with a Jeep would run it over
to the other theater.

One
of the amazing things about this theater is that is has been run
continuously since it opened in 1936. The theater was remodeled
from front to back in 1969 and 1970. The city had an ordinance
that said nothing could hang over the sidewalk so the marquee
had to be taken down then.

Mama
would give us a quarter apiece. It cost nine cents to get in.
The popcorn cost five cents and the drink cost six cents. That
added up to twenty cents which left us a nickel to buy ice cream
on the way home.

When
you walked up to the ticket booth you bought your ticket from
Mrs. Tisdale. She had red hair and a good looking figure, and
was so friendly. Then you’d go into the lobby. And right
in front of you was Jim Owens. We called him James Watson and
he was in charge of making the popcorn and all that.

The
Temple Theater was built as an auditorium and meeting place. Pretty
soon they put a screen up on the stage and started showing movies.
Teenage boys would sit in the balcony. They bought bags of peanuts
to throw at the rats. Of course, that’s just what the rats
wanted.

I
would walk to the Cook Theater and watch the Saturday matinee.
For a dollar, I could get my ticket, popcorn, coke, and two kinds
of candy.Mr.
Henry Cook owned the theater. If I talked in the movie, he would
call my mother and tell her I talked and then for two Saturdays
I couldn’t go to the movies.

When
I was twelve or thirteen, Lash LaRue came to town. He rode his
horse right down the aisle of the theater. He did whip tricks.
He would get someone to hold a cigarette in their mouth and he’d
cut it down with his whip. Then, if you bought a picture of him
for fifty cents, he would autograph it.

Being
in "Pied Piper Malone" was a once-in-a-lifetime thrill,
but seeing the movie when it was shown on the screen was icing
on the cake. Recognizing ourselves and our friends filled us with
glee, and we were happy to see the movie starlets again on the
screen if not in person.

Georgetown
- March 25, 2006
The street was lined with cheering people. Vintage
cars pulled up with "movie stars" while photographers
took pictures for newspapers and television. Cameras flashed as
the honored guests walked the red carpet to see the restored print
of "Pied Piper Malone" which had not been seen in Georgetown
since 1924.

I’ve
heard my husband tell this story many times. When the boxing matches
came on over the radio, he would listen to the match to find out
how it was going and then he would run down and tell his brother
Morris. Morris would project on the screen how the boxing match
was going.

My
father owned theatres in Branchville, St. George, Erhardt, and
New Ellenton. He had two brothers who owned theatres in Johnston,
Williston, Yemassee, and Hardeville. It was my father who started
the business and got the family involved.

In
1953, Lash LaRue "saved the show" at the Golden
Leaf Jubilee in Lake City when Smiley Burnette didn't show
up. LaRue took part in the big parade and then put on a great
show for everyone in front of the Propst Theatre.